Is it September already? Within a matter of weeks we will be handing in our final assignments and pulling
all-nighters in preparation for exams.
I’m pleased you’ve taken the time to read the eJournal as this is my first since becoming editor. Thanks to
Sarah, Koren and the rest of the Distance Campus Committee for their help in making this edition possible.
Being in my first semester as an entirely off-campus student, the support of the DCC has made my
experience far less daunting.
Studying off-campus has become quite an interesting challenge for me. After years of attending lectures and
tutorials at the Geelong campus, I decided I was ready to spend more time out in the grown-up world.
And what a grown-up world it is! Gone are the old days of waking up around 10am with a hangover,
searching high and low for a space in the Deakin over priced joke of a car park before dashing into class five
minutes late having forgotten to bring along a pen that actually works.
Now it’s a matter of being in the office at 9am three days a week while the other days are spent desperately
trying to resist daytime TV and motivating myself to study!
Since becoming editor of the eJournal and participating in discussions with other DUSA reps I find myself
looking back over my years as a uni student and how campus life has changed.
A little over two years ago the old Howard government introduced Voluntary Student Unionism. Since then
the cost of some services has tripled or even disappeared all together. DUSA in pre-VSU days gave me lots of
free lunches (often my only meal of the day), cheap goods and services plus the knowledge that advocacy
and support was there.
Post VSU I have observed some of the impact it has had on our student association, not-to-mention those
across the nation. The number of support services has reduced, staff have been made redundant and the
cost of goods have increased.
The Rudd government rejected recent reports that reinstating compulsory fees was being considered. They
claim to be looking into ways of reviving non-academic services with a possible “opt-out” system.
The DCC want to know your opinion. Tell us about you and what you want as a distance student. The
eJournal is the place for distance students speak up and be heard so send your Letter to the Editor to
csmoo@deakin.edu.au.
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